Blank for forming a pipe smoker&#39;s tool



Dec. 6, 1955 c. J. SEEZ 2,725,764

BLANK FOR FORMING A PIPE SMOKER'S TOOL Filed Nov. 12, 1952 A TTORNEYS.

United States. Patent BLANK FOR FORMING A PIPE SMOKERS TOOL Christian John Seez, Philadelphia, Pa. Application November 12, 1952, Serial No. 319,955 4 Claims. (Cl. 76-101) This invention relates to a tool or implement useful for tamping tobacco in a pipe bowl and for scraping and cleaning the bowl. The invention further concerns a thin metal blank Which may be attached to a tobacco tin or other container and may readily be converted by the purchaser of the tobacco into a useful pipe cleaning and tobacco tamping tool.

One object of this invention is to provide a blank for a pipe smokers tool which is so inexpensive to manufacture that a blank can be given away with each tobacco tin or container without adding appreciably to the cost. Another object is to provide a blank of this character which can readily be converted by the smoker to a strong and very useful and practical tobacco tamping device and pipe bowl cleaner. Other objects and advantages of this invention will further become apparent hereinafter and in the drawings, whereof:

Fig. 1 represents a bottom view of a conventional tobacco can to which is attached a blank for forming a pipe smokers tool which embodies features of this invention;

Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the blank represented in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the pipe smokers tool which may be made from the blank shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 represents a view in perspective showing the pipe smokers tool in the process of formation; and

Fig. 5 represents a view in perspective illustrating the finished pipe smokers tool.

Turning now to the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, it will be appreciated that the blank for forming the pipe smokers tool may readily be afiixed to the bottom of a container for pipe tobacco within the space surrounded by the flanges 9. Of course it will be appreciated that a blank of this kind can also be afiixed to other types of tobacco containers including paper containers and tobacco sacks for example.

The blank which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises an elongated thin metal body member 11 one end of which is shaped in the form of a spoon 12. The side edges 13, 13 of body member 11 are preferably sharp. The body member 11 has a shank in which is formed a longitudinally extending rib 14 which extends from the base of spoon 12 to a point near the shank end 15 of the body member 11.

Formed in the shank end 15 of elongated body member 11 is a longitudinally extending slit 16 which forms a pair of longitudinally extending tab members 17, 17. The tab members 17, 17 have angularly directed side edges 20, 20 whereby the tabs are narrowed at their ends. It will also be apparent that the opposed side edges of the elongated body member 11 are tapered toward one another in the neighborhood of the shank end 15, for purposes which will become apparent.

Formed integrally with the elongated body member 11 is a tamping plate 21 which is provided with a central slot 22. The length of slot 22 is substantially the same as the width of the elongated member 11 at or adjacent to the shank end 15 thereof. The width of slot 22 is substantially the same as the thickness of the metal at the shank end 15.

At the end of the slit 16 which is farthest from spoon 12 the metal is scored or otherwise weakened along the transverse juncture 23. The scored or weakened metal provides a means for detaching the tamping plate 21 from the tab members 17, 17 this being accomplished by simply bending the tamping plate 21 relative to the ends of tabs 17, 17. With one or two bends the weakened metal readily breaks along the line of the score 23 and the tamping plate 21 may be completely separated from the elongated body member 11. By reason of the angled side edges 20, 20 the length of juncture'23 is held to a minimum and the weakened metal is easier to break.

Turning now to Figs. 3-5 of the drawings, it will be appreciated that the pipe cleaning and tobacco tamping tool is readily formed from the blank by projecting the tab members 17, 17 through the slot 22 while maintaining the tamping plate21 substantially perpendicular to the axis of the elongated body member 11. The tabs 17, 17 are then bent in reverse directions with respect to one another as indicated in Figs. 4. The tabs are preferably bent at right angles to the axis of the elongated member 11, as indicated in Fig.5, to form the finished tool.

It will be appreciated that by reason of the taper at the end 15 of the elongated member 11, limit means are provided for limiting the movement of tamping plate 21 toward the spoon 12. This provides a firm base or seat upon which the tamping plate 21 is supported. The tab members 17, 17 coact with this seat and bear against the opposite face of tamping plate 21 to secure the tamping plate firmly with respect to the spoon member.

Preferably the entire tool blank is stamped in one operation from thin metal such as tin plate for example. I have found that a very useful and practical tool may be made in accordance with this invention from the metal of which conventional pipe tobacco tins are made. Other materials may of course be substituted but it is highly desirable to utilize a thin stamped metal as the outer side edges 13, 13 thus formed are ordinarily sharp enough to perform a very efiicient bowl cleaning operation without requiring sharpening.

It will be appreciated that it is important to provide a clean break when the tamping plate 21 is separated from the ends of the tabs 17, 17. This clean break may be achieved by the use of perforations or scorings 23, or, when the metal is quite thin, by simply removing some of the metal to decrease the length of the juncture. In fact, any suitable expedient for weakening the metal of the juncture, reducing it in width or in thickness, may be utilized in order to assure that the metal will be cleanly broken along the juncture so that the ends of the tabs 17, 17 are readily insertable into the central slot 22. All such expedients are intended to be comprehended within the meaning of the expression relatively small in cross-sectional area as used herein.

Although I have described my invention by reference to one specific embodiment thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes other than those referred to above may be made in the form of the device, that equivalent elements may be substituted for those illustrated in the drawings, and that certain features of the invention may be used to advantage independently of the use of other features, all within the spirit of invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A substantially flat blank for a pipe smokers tool comprising an elongated thin metal spoon member, a tamper member consisting of thin metal formed integrally with one end of said spoon member in a substanf l tially common plane therewith, said metal being transversely scored at the juncture of said spoon and tamper members to permit the separation of said members by bending said metal along said score until it breaks, said tamper member having'a slot, and tabs on said end of said spoon member adapted to extend through said slot after said spoon and tamper members are separated for afiixing said spoon member and said tamper member together with the tamper member in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the spoon member.

2. A blank for a pipe smokers tool comprising an elongated substantially flat bendable body member with a spoon at one end thereof, said body member having a longitudinally extending strengthening rib formed therein and also having a longitudinally extending slit at the end opposite said spoon, said slit forming a pair of parallel elongated bendable tabs, and a circular tamping disc formed integrally with the ends of said tabs, said disc having a central slot of length less than the disc diameter, and said blank being transversely scored at the ends of said tabs, said slit terminating at the score line.

3. A blank for a pipe smokers tool comprising an elongated body member of bendable material with a spoon at one end thereof, said body member having at its other end a longitudinally extending division defining two longitudinally extending substantially parallel tab members, said tab members being relatively small in cross-sectional area at their ends, and a slotted circular tamping disc formed integrally with both said narrowed tab ends, said metal being scored at the juncture of said tamping disc and said tab ends.

4. A substantially flat blank for a pipe smokers tool comprising an elongated thin metal spoon member, a tamper member consisting of thin metal formed integrally with one end of said spoon member in a substantially common plane therewith, the juncture of the spoon and tamper member being relatively small in cross-sectional area to facilitate the separation of said spoon and tamper members, said tamper member having a slot, and tabs on the end of said spoon member adapted to extend through said slot after said spoon and tamper members are separated, for aifixing said spoon member and said tamper member together with the tamper member in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the spoon member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 251,788 Marker Jan. 3, 1882 1,301,700 Hulscher Apr. 22, 1919 1,782,329 Webster Nov. 18, 1930 1,979,960 Coughlin Nov. 6, 1934 2,032,017 Hocher et a1 Feb. 25, 1936 2,081,976 Anderson June 1, 1937 2,139,838 Mayer Dec. 13, 1938 2,202,896 Buchner et a1. June 4, 1940 2,353,455 Gisondi July 11, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,768 Great Britain 1908 11,663 Great Britain 1893 

